Starting this semester, all Penn State job applicants are required to undergo a criminal background check before being hired. Penn State is the first college in the state to execute a mandatory criminal record examination.

For 18 months, Penn State officials have been discussing a way to document faculty members' criminal history, said Robert Secor, vice provost for academic affairs.

During the summer, Penn State administrators learned that Paul Eric Krueger, assistant professor of education, was convicted of murdering three fishermen near Corpus Christi, Texas in 1966. Although he received three life sentences, Krueger was awarded parole in 1979. Following that, he earned four degrees and was hired by Penn State in 1999.

Krueger resigned from Penn State in August. The discovery of Krueger's criminal background added to the discussion and implementation of this new policy.

Other university staff members, such as day care employees, already receive background checks.

In November, Penn State announced it would begin performing background checks on all job applicants.

The Big Ten's academic arm, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, recommended that Penn State use HireRight, Inc. of Irvine, Ca. to perform the checks -- costing an average of $39 each. The check will confirm the applicant's self-disclosure form by scanning county, state and federal court documents.

Self-disclosure forms will be given to applicants who reach the interview stage. Then prospective employees will be asked if they have ever been convicted of a crime. However, if an applicant has been convicted of a crime, the likelihood of being hired by Penn State would not necessarily be affected, Secor said.

On Feb. 3, the University Faculty Senate will receive a report on the new policy.

Sallie McCorkle, the Senate's faculty affairs committee chairperson, told the Associated Press that some professors had raised concerns over how the policy might affect faculty recruitment, although she doesn't anticipate any major problems.

Penn State will join Indiana University as the only Big Ten schools that will perform background checks on potential employees. Indiana University implemented a similar program in early December because of new state regulations. Officials there will also begin background checks this semester.

Other colleges and universities in Pennsylvania are discussing this issue and have contacted Penn State about this decision, Secor said.